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MOJ Immunology
Presence of Co-Morbidities in Patients Suffering from
Diabetes Mellitus Type-2 Attending Two Clinics in Delhi
Submit Manuscript | http://medcraveonline.com
Volume 5 Issue 3 - 2017
1Assistant Professor, Baba Saheb Ambedkar Medical College &
Hospital, India
2Fellow in Advanced Diabetology, Division of Endocrinology
and Diabetology, India
3Medical Advisor, Lifespan Diabetes & Cardiometabolic Clinic,
India
*Corresponding author: Akanksha Rathi, Assistant
Professor, Baba Saheb Ambedkar Medical College & Hospital,
Delhi, India, Tel: 991-121-418-7;
Email:
Received: March 21, 2017 | Published: April 10, 2017
Research Article
MOJ Immunol 2017, 5(3): 00160
Abstract
India is a hotbed of diabetes with the highest number of diabetics in the world (62
million individuals. Often the individuals with diabetes mellitus type-2 have other
metabolic abnormalities-the clustering of which contributes to the overall morbidity
conditions in the same person with an index-disease, occurs frequently among patients
with diabetes. Multiple health conditions lead to a faster deterioration of health and
poses a great burden on the healthcare delivery system and patient’s pocket as well. It
is a cross sectional study involving the data obtained from 144 patients with diabetes
mellitus type-2 attending 2 diabetes clinics in Delhi between July-Sept 2016. Out of the
total patients, 37 (25.7%) were females. The average age of the patients was 52.4 years,
their average BMI was 27.3 kg/m2 and their average HbA1c was 8.9. Hypertension and
dyslipidemia are the most common co-existing conditions with diabetes, followed by
neuropathy and sleep apnea. Diabetes care program should also focus on rigorously
treating co-morbidities, as these are often associated with patient’s discomfort and
dismay.
Introduction
Diabetes is a big public health problem that is affecting both
developed and developing economies with a worldwide prevalence
of 387 million (8.3%), which is predicted to be 592 million by
2035 [1]. India is a hotbed of diabetes with the highest number
of diabetics in the world (62 million) and it is predicted that by
[2]. In 2015, over 1 million deaths were attributed to diabetes [3].
Often the individuals with diabetes mellitus type-2 have other
metabolic abnormalities-the clustering of which contributes
are mainly through the increased risk of cardio-vascular disease
(CVD), which is responsible for up to 80% of them [4]. The World
Health Organization predicted a 50% increase in deaths from
diabetes over next 10 years, and by 2030, diabetes is projected to
be the seventh leading cause of death [5].
conditions in the same person with an index-disease, occurs
frequently among patients with diabetes [6,7]. While the UK
Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS) found that complications
of diabetes affect quality of life more than overall treatment
[9,10]. Multiple health conditions lead to a faster deterioration of
health and poses a great burden on the healthcare delivery system
and patient’s pocket as well [11-19]. There is a paucity of studies
that reveal the various co-morbidities occurring in patients
suffering from diabetes so this study was carried out with the aim
Materials and Methods
It is a cross sectional study involving the data obtained from
144 patients with diabetes mellitus type-2 attending 2 diabetes
clinics in Delhi between July-Sept 2016. The Electronic Medical
Records (EMR) of these patients were analyzed retrospectively
and included in the study. A brief medical history was obtained
having information like age, sex, occupation, duration of diabetes
and any other chronic disease or morbidity. Blood pressure
was measured using a standard electronic BP monitor in sitting
15 minutes apart. Height was measured to the nearest millimeter
with a wall-mounted Harpenden stadiometer and weight was
measured with electronic scales to the nearest 0.1 kg [20]. Body
mass index (BMI) was calculated in kg/m2 [21]. Blood sample
was collected the next day after 8 hours of fasting and tested for
fasting glucose and HbA1c.
Clinical and bio-chemical characteristics are expressed as
mean and standard deviation. Descriptive statistics are given
with the help of proportions and percentages. Since the study
involved the use of data that has already been collected, a waiver
was obtained from the institutional ethics review board of the
organization (Lifespan Diabetes and Metabolic chain of clinics).
The data was kept under lock and key and only the investigator
who was responsible for data collection was allowed access to the
of the patients are ever revealed.
Results
A total of 144 diabetic patients were included in the study that
attended the clinics between September and December 2016. Out
of the total patients, 37 (25.7%) were females. The average age
of the patients was 52.4 years, their average BMI was 27.3 kg/m2
and their average HbA1c was 8.9. The various co-morbidities have
been explained in Table 1. The comorbidities are not mutually
exclusive and some patients have more than one comorbidity. As
Citation: Rathi A, Bansal R, Saha K (2017) Presence of Co-Morbidities in Patients Suffering from Diabetes Mellitus Type-2 Attending Two Clinics in
Delhi. MOJ Immunol 5(3): 00160. DOI: 10.15406/moji.2017.05.00160
Presence of Co-Morbidities in Patients Suffering from Diabetes Mellitus Type-2
Attending Two Clinics in Delhi
2/3
Copyright:
©2017 Rathi et al.
is evident from the table, hypertension and dyslipidemia are the
most common co-existing conditions with diabetes, followed by
neuropathy and sleep apnea.
Table 1:
S. No. Co-Morbidity N (%)
1 Hypertension 62 (43.1)
2 Dyslipidemia 51 (35.4)
3 Neuropathy symptoms 22 (15.3)
4 Sleep apnea 11 (7.6)
5 Retinopathy symptoms 7 (4.9)
6 Hypothyroidism 7 (4.9)
7 Arthritis 5 (3.5)
8 Coronary Artery Disease 4 (2.8)
9 Nephropathy symptoms 3 (2.1)
10 Fatty liver 2 (1.4)
11 Varicose veins 2 (1.4)
12 Lung Disease 2 (1.4)
13 Gall stones 1 (0.7)
14 Cancer 1 (0.7)
15 Urinary tract infections (recurrent) 1 (0.7)
16 Peripheral Vascular Disease 1 (0.7)
17 Cataract 1 (0.7)
18 Depression 1 (0.7)
Discussions and Conclusion
The most prevalent co-morbidities in the current study are
hypertension and dyslipidemia, which is not consistent with other
studies that reveal that depression and musculoskeletal conditions
are common in diabetes [7,22-24]. Our data suggests that patients
are often unaware that they are suffering from depression, and
there is a need of a screening tool to diagnose depression that was
not used in the current study. Also, musculoskeletal pains become
a part & parcel of lives of diabetic patients and they do not give
the history of the same unless asked for. Diabetes care programs
should also focus on rigorously treating co-morbidities, as these
are often associated with patient’s discomfort and dismay. The
presence of these conditions poses an additional burden on the
deteriorating health of the diabetic patients as they can lead to
various life-threatening complications and these patients also
end up spending more on their health condition [11-19]. Hence,
comorbidities should be taken care of, as and when they develop
and their treatment should not be delayed.
The limitation of the study is the small number of covariates
included in this study due to the use of secondary data that did
Another limitation was the small sample size. A larger study with
more number of patients should be done to know prevalence of
comorbidities in diabetic patients. Also, such a study will be in
a better position to comment upon the independent variables
affecting co morbid conditions.
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Citation: Rathi A, Bansal R, Saha K (2017) Presence of Co-Morbidities in Patients Suffering from Diabetes Mellitus Type-2 Attending Two Clinics in
Delhi. MOJ Immunol 5(3): 00160. DOI: 10.15406/moji.2017.05.00160
Presence of Co-Morbidities in Patients Suffering from Diabetes Mellitus Type-2
Attending Two Clinics in Delhi
3/3
Copyright:
©2017 Rathi et al.
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